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Capitol Auction heads list of top-ranked houses

Capitol Coin Auction doesn’t hold monthly auctions, but when it does–about 4-6 per year–wow, Auctioneer Brad Lisembee creates an event. His Nov. 9 Proxibid auction is one of them, replete with top holdered and raw coins in nearly all series and denominations. Brad also charges a low buyer’s fee and provides quick, inexpensive shipping, with lots showcased by excellent numismatic photography and grading. No new houses were added to our rankings this month, as so many of our favorites are improving regularly, topping newcomers to the portal. As we always state, however, our top houses are just a matter of choice. (Your experience may differ from ours.)

Leonard Auction, SilverTowne Auction, Western and Southwest Bullion continue to set the pace with excellent consignments and concise, numismatic grading. Other fine houses–Decatur, Weaver, Meares, Gary Ryther, et. al., continue to appeal with good photography, neat consignments, accurate descriptions and fine customer service. Back to the Past Collectibles is in our top 10 because of continuing improvement. RitMar Exchange is moving up, too, focusing on improved photography and mastering the basics with low buyer’s fee and great customer service.

This is the first time we have scored 24.5 points to the top 15 houses. Essentially, there is little difference between them except for the particular consignment on a given week.

This is a good sign because Proxibid has inaugurated a seller feedback feature. Watch for a post on that latter in the week.

As for Proxiblog, we continue to grow with more than 42,500 viewers since our inception in May 2011. In the past 10 months we have logged more than 17,000 views with most coming from the United States, Canada, Britain, Russia and India.

The most popular post continues to be “California Gold: Real, Replica and Fake.” Typically we identify a handful of replica and counterfeit lots, claiming to the real fractional gold; we report them via Proxibid’s “Report this Item” link. Sadly, we report, we see little action typically by seller or Proxibid.

Hats off to Meares Auction, which had two such replicas on consignment, asked us to evaluate them, and then changed the lot description. That’s why Darron Meares is a leader in this business.

We continue to provide best practices and numismatic knowledge to our viewers for free. Fortunately, we have several of our top houses donating funds to our scholarship account. GreatCollections, operated by numismatist Ian Russell, sponsored an entire month. We are extremely grateful.

Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.

Please Support Our Scholarship Fund?

We provide Proxiblog for free to 50,000+ viewers worldwide. If you find our service helpful, would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to Iowa State University to support the next generation of bidders?

ALL TIME FAVORITE SELLERS:

NOTE: Auction houses in our top rankings do not see maximum bids or allow bidding by auctioneers or their employees. All rankings are based on Proxiblog buying experience to establish informed opinion. Your online experience may differ from ours or these reviews.

1. Capitol Coin Auctions25 points. One of the most professional coin houses on the portal and, in our opinion, one of the top sellers on Internet. Low buyer’s fee, 15%. Consignments are among the best, and owners write accurate lot descriptions that are of PCGS accuracy. Great photos, too--among the best on Proxibid. More than 35 years in the business. Hosts only a half dozen sessions per year, but each is an event with coins from estates. Never overlook this house on Proxibid.
2. Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction 25 points. Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction. Detailed photography. Best innovation. Top online advertisements. Numismatic descriptions. Low or tiered buyer's fees. Runs budget-saver auctions. Highly competitive, innovative. Provides detailed receipts for both buyers and sellers. Very responsive. See "On the Block" entry for more information. Usually ships within 3-4 days.
3. Fox Valley Coins24.5 points. One of our favorite Proxibid houses. Excellent consignments. This is the place where the best buys on the portal can be had if the bidder knows numismatics. We are excited to participate in each auction because of the vast array of key dates, varieties and rarities. Schedules only a few mega-auctions per year on Proxibid, but each one is an event! Now accepts credit cards. Photography greatly improved, which makes up for the lack of numismatic descriptions. Buyer’s premium is 18%.
4. SilverTowne Auctions24.5 points. Exceeds basic criteria in both buying and consignor categories. Among best coin grading and descriptions on Proxibid. Top consignment policy for rare coins. Timed auctions offer great bargains with good selections. Accepts returns on counterfeit coins or if error made in description. Among fastest shippers on Proxibid using numismatic packing. Usually ships within 1-2 days.
5. Leonard Auction24.5 points. Among the best consignments on Proxibid, and for good reason, too. John Leonard's policies of 0% seller's fee for lots that bring $250 or more ensures top numismatic items. Completely thorough lot descriptions. Quick shipping. Professional customer service. For more about this reputable house, see this "On the Block."6. Jewelry Exchange24.5 points. A long-standing reputable auction house featuring regular coin consignments, including gold, US and World coins (and on occasion Ancients) with 15% buyer’s premium, great customer service and quick shipping. Photography adequate; lot descriptions, accurate. See the company’s “On the Block” by clicking here.7. Krueger and Krueger Auction24.5 points. Kurt Krueger is a seasoned numismatist who conducts exemplary auctions on Proxibid. This house also is innovative and understands the importance of the online audience. Of particular note is his accurate lot descriptions. He’s not afraid to say “Hogwash” to bottom-tier alleged grades, and we love him for that.
8. Back to the Past Collectibles24.5 points. 10% online buyer’s fee. Excellent photos. Quick shipping. Auctioneer C. Scott Lovejoy has made significant improvements and secured fine consignments. We admire houses like his that aim to please the online bidder! Rapidly becoming one of the top coin auctions on Proxiblog.
9. Star Coin and Currency24.5 points. One of the best timed auctions on the portal. Keeps improving. Yet another company that pays attention to customer service. Sharp photography. Numismatic descriptions. Inexpensive, fast shipping.
10. Meares Auction24.5 points. Charges 5% online buyer's fee for coins. See this article for Darron Meares' innovations. Improved photography. Courteous customer service. Ships reasonably and quickly. Knows coins. One of the longest Proxibid sellers and top auction house; nationally recognized as leader in industry.
11. Kaufman Realty and Auctions 24.5 points. Kaufman Realty features strong consignments, fair photos, numismatic lot descriptions and regular coin auctions. 15% buyer’s fee makes looking here a must. Shipping time is improving. Always worth the wait.
12. McKee Coin Auction24.5 points. Charges 20% buyer's premium and doesn’t use APN, but gives 5% cash discount and uses PayPal. Consignments are improving, and photography is vastly improved. We know Owen McKee and are pleased that he is sharing his vast numismatic knowledge in his descriptions. You can also find the unexpected in his two-day 1500+ marathons, including Canadian coins. Shipping is reasonable but charges $1 per lot handling fee.
For other companies meeting basic criteria, click here.

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